STGCC’s only a week away, and in our final roundup, we put the spotlight on the cosplay contest and some of the exhibitors gracing the show floor. We’ve also got some great news for Mico Suayan fans.

1. Cosplay @ STGCC

The finalists for Cosplay @ STGCC were announced on Thursday, and it looks like cosplay lovers will be in for a treat!

Contenders for the STGCC title include established cosplayers from the Philippines and WCS finalist from Malaysia, and they’ll be on stage from 5 pm to 7 pm on Sunday (21 Aug), jostling for the top prize of $1,000.

Nothing beats going to a con and going home laden with armfuls of loot, and we single out a few booths worth watching for.

On the comic front, we have:

Benjamin Ang (#F33) Benjamin’s the first (of hopefully many) Singaporean talents to get a gig with Marvel following last year’s Portfolio Review. He’s got my vote of confidence, so do pop by his booth to support this rising star.

Setting up shop in the artist’s alley is Kelvin Chan (#G48). Be sure to drop by Kelvin’s booth, especially if you missed his awesome work at Comic Art Show 2011. He’s also got special limited edition Conan the Barbarian prints on sale, and if you’re really, really lucky, snagging one of these 100 signed and numbered pieces could also snag you a ticket to the movie screening.

Our friendsNoval and Rudy AO will also be putting in an appearance at (#G36), where they’ll be sharing a booth with the amazing DC illustrator Ardian Syaf, while Marvel’s Harvey Tolibao will also be showcasing his pieces a couple booths down, at (#G40/42).

And now, a little something for the manga fans. If you like Knightcat’s work, she can be spotted at (#G25) where she’ll be selling her prints and merchandise. Also, Rixouof art group Soraworks will be debuting a 35-page graphic novel at (#G21) (that’s just a few booths away!), so do take note!

And while we’re on the topic of book launches and debuts, Mico Suayan, who has done some really marvelous work on Moon Knight, Thor, Wolverine and the X-men will be putting out his sketch book at the Elseworlds booth at (#E22).

This exclusive STGCC 2011 release will feature some of his best sketches and cover art pieces, and is definitely something not to be missed.

Mico's Sketchbook - Cover Art (used with permission)

Mico's Sketchbook - Sample Pages (used with permission)

If you’re into toys:

Action City‘s booth at (#E2) is where the Hot Toys action is at. That’s where you can grab your share of limited edition STGCC exclusive Batman, Iron Man and Predator figurines.

Evirob, Gloomy & TO-FU Oyako loyalists can check out Play Imaginative at booth (#B2), while Simply Toys (#F11) and The Falcon’s Hangar (#D18) will be stocking their own treasure troves for the discerning toy collector.

The China Square Central regulars will be there too, so look out for some of their kickass stuff for sale.

And finally, if you’re just dying to get Kieron’s or Paul’s signatures, and you’re missing that one comic book:

Check out Harris Planerds(#B14). Our Planerds friends have promised to keep graphic novels and trade paperbacks by the big names handy, just for STGCC.

3. Crimson’s Con Project

No con is complete without photography and video coverage, and this year, we’ve got something ambitious planned for con goers and cosplayers alike.

The Neo Tokyo Project will be doing a photodocumentary at STGCC, and we’d love for you to be a part of this blog exclusive feature. So if you’re gonna come dressed in geek chic or in costume, we want you to share your story with us. Joey and I will be roving the show floor in steampunk costumes inspired by Joe Benitez’s Lady Mechanika, so do say hi if you see us!

We’ll also be doing an MTV style convention video on Day #1, so do look out for our camera crew (they’ll be wearing The Neo Tokyo Project t-shirts), and pose for the cameras!